Overview

• South Korea’s Joint Chiefs removed all 24 fixed loudspeakers along the DMZ on Aug. 4–5 as a goodwill measure
• Seoul’s military reported that North Korea dismantled two frontline speakers on Aug. 9 but reinstalled one shortly afterward
• Kim Yo Jong publicly rejected claims of any removals and labeled South Korea’s interpretation a “pipedream”
• Experts warn that Pyongyang’s selective pullbacks are aimed at extracting concessions rather than easing tensions
• Both Koreas maintain watchful monitoring as US-South joint exercises and North Korean drills continue near the border